History Facts for Kids
Incredible facts from the past
Ancient Rome had multi-storey apartment buildings up to nine storeys tall called insulae. Most Romans lived in them, though they were poorly built — fires and collapses were common.
Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama was the first European to sail directly from Europe to India, completing the journey in 1498. This opened a sea trade route that transformed global commerce.
Ancient Egyptians used perfumed oils and spices as deodorant, applying them to the armpits and recording recipes for body care products on papyrus scrolls as far back as 1500 BC.
Florence Nightingale revolutionised nursing during the Crimean War in the 1850s, reducing the death rate in military hospitals from 40% to just 2% by insisting on clean wards and good sanitation.
Genghis Khan built the largest contiguous land empire in history, stretching from the Pacific Ocean to Eastern Europe by the time of his death in 1227 — covering about 24 million square kilometres.
Porcelain was invented in China around the 7th century AD and was so prized in Europe that it became known simply as 'china'. European potters spent centuries trying to discover the secret recipe.
Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison for his opposition to South Africa's apartheid system. After his release in 1990, he became South Africa's first democratically elected president in 1994.
The Roman emperor Caligula reportedly planned to make his favourite horse, Incitatus, a consul — one of the highest offices in Rome. Whether he actually did so is disputed by historians.
Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon in 1967 despite an official trying to physically remove her from the race mid-run — women were not officially allowed to enter until 1972.
George Washington's false teeth were not made of wood — they were crafted from hippopotamus ivory, animal teeth, and human teeth. They were painful and ill-fitting, accounting for his tight-lipped expression in portraits.